Frankfurt Dominican Altarpiece: Flagellation

Hans Holbein the Elder painted the Flagellation for the Frankfurt Dominican Altarpiece around 1501. The scourging at the pillar was one of the most physically brutal scenes in the Passion cycle. Holbein's multiple Flagellation panels across different altarpiece commissions show his evolving approach to this challenging subject. The tempera medium required careful preparation on a gessoed panel and a disciplined layering technique that produced precise, durable surfaces suited to the intricate detail expected of devotional painting.

Oil on panel with the violent action of the scourging rendered within a controlled compositional framework. Holbein's figure interactions convey both physical brutality and Christ's transcendent patience.